Lifting and balancing means for airships.



APPLICATION FILED NINE 2Q, \SII- Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

' 3 SHEETSSHEET l.

TIME

31m); "(01/ 'rz leg T. M. E INLEY.

LIFTLNG m0 BALANCING MEANS FOR AIRSHH'S.

Patented We. 1?, 1918 N N APPLICATIDNHLED lUNE 29, I917. LE8 5,938.

3 SHEETSMSHEET 2- T. M. FINLEY.

LIFTING AND BALANCING MEANS FOR AIRSHIPS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- TMFl'i z 22 y Patented Dec. 17

APPLlCMlON FlLDJUNE29.19I7.

Prhallhl il. i lf loii -i.

THOMAS EINLEY. 0F ORAN; MISSOURI.

LIFTING AND EALfiNCING MEANS FQR AIRSHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. f7. 1918.

Original application filed June 28, 1917, Serial No. 177,816. Dividedand this application filed June 29, 1917.- Serial No. 1??281'1'. Y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Murrow FIN- hey a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing a'tfran, in the county of Scott and State 01' Missouri,have invented. certain new and use- 'ful Improvements in Lifting andBalancing Means for Airships; and l do hereby declare thefollowing to bea lull clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such aswillenable others skilled in the art to which its )pertains to make anduse the same. T e'invention relates to a gyratory stabilizer and-lifting propeller and is a division of'an, application filed June 29,1917, Serial f The object of the present invention is to infprove theconstruction of lifting propell'ersand pyratory stabilizers, moreespecially that shown and described in an application 'fil'ed'my nieApril 10, 1917, Serial Number 160,980, and toprovide a simple, practicaland, comparatively inexpensive construction in which the lifting eilectWill be increased and the head resistance eliminated.

A. furtheaobject of the invention is to provide a structure of thischaracter adapted to afford an etiicieht airpocket to assist then'lachine in hovering and capable also of forcing the air downwardlybeneath the man mine to assist in providing a strong or condoused bodyof air to support the machine in flight and to increase the eliect ofthe driving propeller and, render the acrocrulser 'niore buoyant andeasily propelled, and at the same time counteract theevil effects of airpockets and similar unfavorable atmospheric conditions.

A: further "object of the invention is to i provide lifting mechanismadapted to take jair from the top of the body of the machine andforcesuch air through the body to the bottonvtliercoi to rarei'y the airabove the machine aiidfincrease the density of the air beneath themachine both to facilitate the :ascent of the machine and to cushion thema'chino in descending and enable the machine to land gently without jarorvibralion. I

"With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstriiction and novel colnhi ation of parts hereinafter fullydescribed. ilhstratod in the accompanying dragaings and poi in [heclaims here to'nggpcnded; it being; and var1- ous changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, Within the scope ofthe claims. may be rcsortcd'to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages ol. the invent-ion.

In the drawings: I

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of a portion of the body of anaerocruiscr provided with a gyratory stabilizer and lifting propellerconstructed in accordance With this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, the main and auxiliary doorsbeing closed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View through the lifting mechanism, thegyratory incinbcr being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3, the main and auxiliary doorsbeing open.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrab ing the manner of slidab ymounting the auxiliary door. 1

Like numerals of reference designate correspondingparts'in the severalfigures of the drawings.

in the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, 1 designates the body ofjthe aerocruiser,said body being constructed as shown and described in the saidapplication.

' of which the present application is a division. The body is providedwith a vertical opening 2 designed to be located at suit able intervalsas set'forth in the said application and arranged midway between theside of the body and extending upwardly from the trough. The opening istapered upwardlyj so asto constrict the compressed air or packed air fthe troughin coder that the air operated on by a horizontally dis posedrotary lifting propeller 4 will he of relatively great density. TheWalls 5 of the opening are tubular and may be constructed of anysuitable material, and the upper and lower terminals of the tubularwalls are iiaro E as shown at 6 and 7. The-tendency of the body,explained in the aforesaid application, lo compress or condense'the aircauses the same to rush into the trough and the vertical opening so thatthe rotary horizontally disposed lifting propeller- 4} will h tain amaximum lifting jet ectgslnd the said horizontally disposedpropelleroperstes on such. air to force the same downwardly through thevertical trough 3 at a uniform maximum density and to coun- 33 and it isadapod the air to enter the upper end of thevertical opening from thetop and sides so that the horizontal lifting propeller will have thesame effect as operating in the open air and at the same time bearranged in the body so as to preventit from oliering any resistance tothe forward movement of the machine.

The propeller, which is of theordinary construction, is mounted on avertical shaft 1- force the air downwardly' through'the vertical openingfor the I theair 1n the trough thefarrangementof v thecentral' portionof the body midway berectly I same, thereby reducing the density of theair purpose of lifting the aerocruiser and also for the purposeofincreasing the density of beneath the body. By the vertical opening ates the air will be, taken from dipacked below the tween the si abovethe'body and at the body andlessen1ng the resistance of the air to theupward movement of the body and at the same time causing the air to packbeneath the body and-tend to lift and support the same. 5 I

- The effect of the lifting propeller. is controlled by or closures mainand auxiliary slidable doors and 35 located at the top of the body. andadaptedjo expose the upper end of the vertical openin" to a greater orless degree as required.

Cle e s circular, are slidablymounted and are movable inwardly andoutwardly-in a direction longitudinally ,of thebody and they areurgedinwardlvf'by coiled springs 36 disslidable.

on rods 37 p and interposed between the doors or closures34 and guides38; The main doors 34am provided with central posed openings 39, andfthe'auxiliary doors are slidableto cover and'u'ncover the openings39which are adapted to admit air to the central portion of theverticalopening 2 prior to the opening of the main doors 34 so that the air willnot be delivered to thepropellers' ingjshown and' 'arranged' 'to operate1n a dove-tailed grooveor .way' 41.

ina "thinlstreak. The auxiliary door 1s slidably" mounted on th m 1 3;by

any suitable means, a dove tailed*ri-b 40 be- Any suitable antifricti'on, devices maybe employed to assist the movements oftheslidabl'e doors or closuresand the-auxiliary door orclosurc openingv2 into the" e mai'n d'oors or whlch are substantially semr 35 is urgedin closed position bysprings42,

disposed preferably on rods 43' operating in guides 44 of the main door;butany other suitable means may be employed for mounting the springs42twhich are of less's'trength than the springs 36, so thatthe'operating connections 45, connected with-*theaii xiliary doors willopen the same to? the full extent of the movement of the said auxiliaryI doors independently of the main doors before the main doors are movedoutwardly.

This operation is due to the superior strength of the sprlngs 36, whichwill main tain the/main doors in their closed osition untll theauxiliary v limit of their outward movement.-

doors have reac ed the Also in the closing movement of the doors-, the.fmain doors will completely close prior to the closing of the auxiliarydoors, and the operating 34 and 35 are designed/to be located in the Icars of the aforesaid application and x'nay' be of any preferred form. 5

devices for controlling the doors or closures When the main doors close,the is automatically stopped to'pr'event it from upper convex facesinthe path of mner s so. The rollers 50, which are carried by the maindoors, form projections and are adapted tof engage the curved arms or'portions'49 of") IOU" thereby lift the inner forked armsto raise aslidable or movable clutchsectionor [Dem-r the levers to depress thesaid arms 49 her stout of engagement with a co'abting clutch section ormember 52 carriediby the The slidab e clutch section'51 propeller andheld. a ainst longitudinal movement. is interlocked with the verticalshafts by any, suitable means, and the propeller,- which is loose on thesame when the section 5'1 is moved {into engagement with the section 52of the clutch. The slidable clutch member 51; which'is adapted clutchsection by means of 'a coiled spring stop 54, which mayconsist ofacollarq or other suitable. device. meeting edges straight at opposite'sidesjot the vertical shaft 33 and the openings "33,-

and the auxiliarydoors 35 are providedwith through recesses 54') formingan'opening which the shaft passes when the doors: are. closed. Thevertical propeller shaft ism} ries a rotary gyratory memberTor planefifiwhich is illustrated in the drawings as sisting of; an annulus or :riin"supported by spokes 57 extending from a hub v58 and suit,- 0k

so churning the air in the opening 2 and this operation is effected bymeans 6 levers 46, fulcrumedintermediate of", their ends at 47 andhaving inner forked portions; J 48 and outer. .curved portions 49,presenting95 to move downwardly by gravity, is: positively urged intoengagement with the;1

53 disposed on'the shaft 33 and-interposed between the slidable clutchsection 52' anda The main doors-have tended above the top of thebodyand-car-n:

opening. extendingthrough' the body from the bottom tosthe' top, apropeller .shaft mounted within the opening and extending above the bodya lifting propeller mounted on the sa'id' shaft, and a rotary gyratoryplane or member mounted on the shaft and located above the body andhaving an opening' of substantially the size of the opening 9 th o y,

'inclmingi,""u'pvmrdly and outwardly from the said gyratory plane ormember said" opening.-

10. In an airship or his class described,

the combination of a body provided with an opening extending upwardlyfrom the bottom of the body throughthe same to the top thereof, alifting propeller operating with- .in the opening, means for closing theopening to,fo rm an an pocket, and a superimposed gyratory plane. havingan opening located. above the opening of the body and connected with thepropeller.

11. In an airship of the class described, the combination of a 'bodyprovided-with an opening extending upwardly from the bottom of the bodythroughthe same to the top thereof, a lifting propeller operatingwithin:

' propeller operating within the opening, slidable closures located'the'body and having an above the propeller for controlling theadmission of'air to the opening and its passage therethrough, and asuperimposed gyratory plane located above opening registering with theopening of the body. 13. In an airship of the class described, thecombination of a body having an opening extending upwardly through thebody, a

' propeller operating within the opening, and

'. doors arranged. to cover and uncover the said opening and providedwith auxiliary doors or closures to efiect a preliminary admission ofair to the said opening.v p 14. In an airship. of the class described,the combination of a body having an opening extending upwardly throughthe body, a propeller operating within the opening, maini'doors-arrangedto cover and uncover the said'openingand having openings, auxiliar y.doors mounted on the main doors to coverand uncover the openingsthereof, and operating mechanism for the said; doors:

,15.7In an airship of the class described, the combination of a bodyhaving awed ing extending upwardlyt rough the a propeller operating withn the opening, maingdoors arranged to cover and uncover said apertures,springs for urging combination of a body combination of a body the saidopening and having openin s, auxlhary doors mounted on the maixr oors tocover and uncover the openings thereof, and

operatmg'mechanism having means 'for effecting a preliminary opening andclosing of the auxiliary doors.

16. In an-airship of the classdescribed, the

operating mechanism for the said doors, said combinationof a body havingan openlng extending upwardly through the body, a

propeller ogerating within the opening, slidoors arranged to cover andoncover the said opening and rovided with apertures, auxiliary doors sliably mounted on the maindoors to cover and uncover the the auxiliarydoors to their closed position, superior able mainv springs foractuating the main doors to move the same to their closed positiomandoperating mechanism connected with the aux iliary doors and adapted toeffect a preliminary opening and closing of the same through thesuccessive action of the said springs.

out of operation, and means for closing the upper end of the opening andfor simultaneoperating the clutch to'stop the proously peller when theopening is closed. In an airship of the class described, the

combination of a body having an opening extending upwardly through thebody from the bottom to the top, within the opening, aclutch connectedwith the propeller for throwing the same into and out of operation, alever connected with the clutch, and means for covering and uncoveringthe upper end of the said opening and for simultaneously 3 operating theclutchto start the propeller when the'opening is uncovered and to stopthe propellerwhen the opening is covered. I I

19. In an airship of the class described, the I having an openingextending upwardly through the bottom to the top, a propeller operatingwithin theopening, a clutch connected with the propeller for throwingthesame into and out of operation, a lever connected with the clutch, and aslidable'closure for the said opening providedwith means for engagingand operating the lever. F

20. Inanairship of the class described, the having an openingextendingthrough'it from theitop to the bottom, a' propeller operatingwithinjthe open- I 17. In an airship of the class described,thecombination of a'body, having an opening V a propeller operating thebody from a.clutch connected withathe propeller andhaving a movaurgingthe movable member-in one direction, a lever connected with the"movable member,

and" a slidable closure for the opening havble member, a springfor ingmeansfo'r engaging-the sziid lev'grfor movlng the member against theact-1011 of the spring; 1 21. In an airship of the class described, thebody provided with an opening ext-ending throughit fronythebotcombination of :1,

tom to thotop, a shaft mounted in the openpng, a horizontal liftingpropeller arranged on the shaft, & clutch propeller and having aslidablef member movable to clut'chthe propeller to the shaft andunclutch it from the same, a spring for urging the movable memberin onedire'ction,

connected with the' I faces of the levers in the closing "lave rsconnected with'ith e' 'movabl' x 'hember v presenting curved faCQS," 157 and sli'dable c'losuresproi'ided with rollers f and havmg armsarranged to. engage and disengage the curved V and opening r vmovementsof the said closures.

in.pr arefen ce twow itnessg's'. V a

' Witnesses! I r M. I. LEWIs,-' BENNEH Joins.

n testimony whereof I affixmy sig nd ture

